Cablegate: Turkey: Pkk Violence Report, Explosion in Istanbul

VZCZCXRO1984
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #4778 2281453
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161453Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1108
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8003
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEKDAI/DIA WASHDC
RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA//
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5//
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/425ABS IZMIR TU//CC//
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEPGAB/MNF-I C2X BAGHDAD IZ

UNCLAS ANKARA 004778

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER TU IZ
SUBJECT: TURKEY: PKK VIOLENCE REPORT, EXPLOSION IN ISTANBUL
INJURES FIVE CIVILIANS

REF: ANKARA 4587 AND PREVIOUS

1. (SBU) This is another in a series of periodic reports on
PKK violence in Turkey (see reftels). Our primary sources
for these reports are mainstream Turkish press services, such
as the Anatolian News Agency, and international wire
services. While these sources are more reliable than most
Turkish press sources, they are not necessarily
unimpeachable. Press services sympathetic to the PKK, such
as Neu-Isenburg People's Defense Forces and Firat News
Agency, tend to report higher numbers of Turkish Security
Forces casualties.

2. (U) According to press reports, three members of the
Turkish Security Forces were killed and four were wounded
over the period August 7 - August 13. Two PKK terrorists
were killed and nineteen were arrested. Six civilians,
including the son of the NCO killed during a home invasion on
August 7 (see reftels), were wounded. On August 13, an
explosion in front of an internet cafe in Istanbul injured
the other five civilians. In the same period, Turkish forces
seized 11.7 kg of explosives and 31 handguns (20 GLOCK, 5
WALTHER, and 6 SIG SAUER) during counter-PKK engagements.

3. (U) We estimate that in 2006, approximately twenty-three
civilians and up to 194 members of the Turkish Security
Forces have perished as a result of PKK violence.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON

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